A flexible conductor device of this type is disclosed in EP-A-2062771. Said flexible conductor device is part of a vehicle seat heating system. By providing an electric current at the connectors located at the opposite ends of the circuit, a heating effect is obtained. The circuit has a shape comprising multiple serpentines so as to cover the surface of the vehicle seat.
The flexible conductor device is covered with an isolating foil and is incorporated in the seating surface of the vehicle seat. The vehicle seat in question has to satisfy the usual parameters which guarantee the comfort for the occupant, such as in particular a comfortable feel of the seating surface. In this connection, the addition of a conductor device, albeit this is flexible, may influence the seating comfort. For instance, the adaptability of the seating surface to the contours of the human body may be impaired thereby. This is caused by the local thickness differences which occur as a result of the serpentine circuit of the flexible conductor device. The incorporation of the flexible conductor device in vehicle interior parts with a higher stiffness and/or lower thickness than a vehicle seat may cause an even stronger discomfort.
Furthermore, as a result of the deformations experienced by the flexible conductor device, it may generate noises or a cracking sound which are to be attributed to characteristics of the carrier substrate. Also, the closed character of the prior art flexible conductor device has the disadvantage of inhibiting the circulation of air. Thereby the moisture regulation of e.g. a vehicle seat is impaired, which diminishes the comfort.